National Blog

Washington Times: The IRS needs a good spanking

Yesterday, The Washington Times had a great editorial highlighting the most recent IRS abuses, including the targeting of Campaign for Liberty.

The tax man, not at all intimidated by widespread disgust at his behavior, is getting ever more aggressive in his pursuit of critics of the Obama administration.

The directors of the IRS don’t care that Congress is investigating their illegal targeting of those who disagree with the president. Why should they? The agency understands that it can get away with whatever it pleases in pursuit of a partisan agenda....

The IRS is now pursuing Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty, which has been ordered to turn over its donor list to the government. The group has refused, citing the Supreme Court in NAACP v. Alabama, which recognized the right of political groups to respect the privacy of their contributors.

These sordid episodes highlight the folly of enabling the IRS to police political speech. Free speech, including criticism of politicians and candidates, must be encouraged. Groups should not be afraid of harassment by audit, whether liberal or conservative. The IRS needs a good spanking.